Transporter-launcher



1957 L. E. GRAYSON ETAL 3,303,740

TRANSPORTER-LAUNCHER Filed Dec. 9, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mi N E; I l .jmEA/mes. ZAWREA/CE kwysam MAW/2M MAXWEL 4,

@eopasjf 5;044955 Feb. 14, 1967 L. E. GRAYSON ETAL 3,303,740

TRANSPORTER-LAUNCHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 9, 1964 United StatesPatent 3,303,740 TRANSPORTER-LAUNCHER Lawrence E. Grayson, Glendora,Norman E. Maxwell, Ontario, and George H. Schillrefi, Glendora, Califi,assignors to General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona, Calif., a corporationof Delaware Filed Dec. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 417,017 7 Ciaims. (Cl.89--1.815)

The invention relates to launchers, and more particularly to missilelaunchers which additionally function as the transporting mechanism forthe missile.

The advent of supersonic aircraft and missiles has imposed difiicultproblems in regard to the design of defensive and offensive equipmentadequate for use against these types of targets. Heretofore, the speedof attacking aircraft and the early type of missiles was relatively slowin comparison to those in present day use, thus providing an ample timefactor for locating the target, bringing a weapon to bear thereon andfiring. Under such circumstances the target could be engaged within arelatively short range and the equipment generally employed againstsucha target was accordingly designed for short range operation.

The tremendous increase in speed of present day attacks has, however,reduced this time factor to such an extent that it is now necessary toinitiate defensive or offensive measures when the target is located at aconsiderable range or distance from the weapon station. Long rangeweapons for operation against high speed aircraft and missiles have beendeveloped, such weapons being generally large in size and of heavyconstruction. While existing requirements now call for this long rangeweapon, the need still exists for weapons which are effective withinrelatively short ranges since efforts at short range must be exertedshould the extended range operation fail.

In addition a present day need fulfilled by this invention is a simpleyet effective manner of transporting and launching surface to surfacetype missiles.

Also, another problem area has developed due to the strike ability ofthe present day aircraft and missiles; namely, a relatively simple yeteffective means for deploying either the long or short range weapons sothat these weapons may be land or shipboard mounted.

Prior to this invention, all known launching systems are of a complexitysuch that, if shipboard mounted for example, the craft would requireextensive modification to handle the weapon system. Also, the priorknown weapon systems require separate transporting and storagefacilities, thus greatly increasing the expense of the weapon as well aslimiting the deployment capabilities thereof.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a launchermechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whichfunctions for transporting and launching a missile.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coffin type missilestorage means wherein at least a portion of the cover thereof alsofunctions as the transporting and launching mechanism for the missile.

Other objects of the invention will become readily apparent from thefollowing description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a craft illustrating the activated andinactivated positions of an embodiment of the invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the FIG. 1 craft;

FIG. 3 is a view of an embodiment of the invention in its activatedposition;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Broadly, the invention relates to a missile launcher box 3,393,749Patented F eb. 14, 1967 having application on land or water bornevehicles. More paricularly, the launcher box is comprised of a watertight cover, a portion thereof having a rail secured interiorly alongthe top; said rail being employed to mount a missile ready for firing.In operation, the launcher box, whose aft end of the missile carryinglid is pivotally mounted in proximity to the aft end of the vehicle inthis illustration, is raised to the desired angle of attack by actuatorsassociated therewith, thereby aiming the missile forwardly with respectto the vehicle on which it is mounted.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a water-bornecraft 10 which may be of any type or size desired. Craft It is providedwith a superstucture generally indicated at 11 which houses the controlsin conventional manner. Positioned on superstructure 11 is a radarscreen structure indicated at 12 for operation in conventional manner.Gun mounts 13 and 14 are positioned on the fore and aft decks,respectively.

Positioned on the aft deck of craft 10 are a pair of water-tightlauncher box assemblies of the invention and generally indicated at 15and 16, the launcher box assembly 15 being on the port side and shown inthe closed or inactivated position while launcher box assembly 16 on thestarboard side is in the open or activated position.

The launcher box assemblies 15 and 16 are identical and consistbasically of a box or cotfin 17 having three lids or cover members 18,19 and 2t). Lids 18 and 19 cover approximately the forward half of box17 and swing outwardly (see FIG. 1) on hinge members 21 which areattached to the upper portion of box 17 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. Lid2G swings upwardly and to the rear of box 17 via a member 22 attached toor integral with lid 20 which pivots about a pin 23 of a support mount24 attached to the deck of craft 10 via bolts 25. When lid 20 is in theinactivated or closed position shown by assembly 15 in FIG. 1, member 22abuts the rear of box 17 which is also attached to the deck of craft 10via pads and bolts or the like indicated at 26. Box 17 is provided witha plurality of clamp members 27 (only two being shown) which secure lid26 thereto. Lids 18 and 19 may also be provided with means for securingsame in the closed position if desirable. A plurality of brace members28 extend from box 17 to certain of pads 26 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

Cover member or lid 28 is provided on the under side thereof with arail-type launch assembly indicated gen erally at 29. Launch assembly 29includes members 30 and 31 which are operatively connected to support amissiie 32 mounted thereon. The specific details of the launch assemblydo not constitute a portion of the present invention and a detaileddescription thereof is deemed unnecessary except for the fact thatassembly 29 cooperates with cover member or lid 29 for the transporting,storage, and launch of missile 32.

A pair of hydraulic actuators 33 are pivotally connected at one endthereof to the deck of craft 10 via mounts 34 and at the opposite end tocover member or lid 20 via mounts 35. Actuators 33 are supplied withpressure fiuid from a source (not shown) via control mechanism (notshown) to raise the lid 20 and associated missile 32 to the desiredposition or to lower the lid and missile by proper manipulation of thehydraulic control mechanism. While not shown, lids 18 and 19 areprovided with actuating means for opening and closing same which may behydraulic, mechanical, electrical or any combination thereof. Lids 18and 19 may be manually opened and closed if desired. The actuators 33are only illustrative and may take various forms or may be mounted invarious places on the assemblies 15 and 16 so as to raise and lower lid20. Mechanical or electrical type actuators may be utilized instead ofthe hydraulic type illustrated.

Cover member or lid 20 is provided with a plurality of ring-like members36 attached to the top thereof (see FIGS. 3 and 4) to facilitatehandling of the lid and associated missile 32 during the transportingand positioning in box 17.

Missile 32 is operatively mounted on the assembly 29 of lid 20 fortransporting the missile from a remote storage area to the launcherassembly or 16, the lid being carried by a crane or other lift typevehicle via ring members 36. Lid 20 is aligned with box 17 so thatmember 22 of lid 20 can be pivotably attached to mount 24 and so thatactuators 33 can be attached to mount 35 on lid 20. The connections toring members 36 from the lift vehicle are removed and, with forward lids18 and 19 open, lid 20 and missile 32 are lowered by actuators 33 untillid 20 abuts box 17, thereafter lids 18 and 19 are closed, thusproviding a water-tight storage container for missile 32. as illustratedby assembly 15 in FIG. 1.

Upon command, lids 18 and 19 are opened and lid 20 pivots on pin 23 toraise missile 32 to its firing position as illustrated in FIG. 3 and byassembly 16 in FIGS. 1 v

and 2. Missile 32 is fired by means not constituting part of thisinvention and therefore not illustrated or described, thus leaving lid20 ready for the reception of another missile, if desired, or forremoval from box 17.

While the launch assembly 29 has been illustrated as being of the railtype, any other type of launch assembly may be used which is compatiblewith the launcher box assembly.

It has thus been shown that the present invention provides a simple butyet efifective assembly for the transporting, storage, and launch of amissile. The specific type of cover members or lids for the storage boxare determined by the type of missile utilized therewith and thespecific requirements of the individual application.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustratedand described, modifications will become apparent to those skilled inthe art, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all suchmodifications as come within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A transporter-launcher apparatus adapted for transporting, storingand launching a missile or the like comprising: a box-like containermeans, cover means located at one end of said container means andadapted to cover and uncover that end portion of the box-like containermeans, a cover member located at the other end of said container meansand adapted to pivot with respect to said other end of said containermeans for covering and uncovering the said other end of said box-likecontainer means, said cover member being provided with means adapted forreleasably supporting an associated missile or the like on one sidethereof, said cover member additionally provided with means mounted onthe opposite side thereof for transporting the cover member, andactuator means for pivoting said cover member with respect to saidcontainer means.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said cover member includesa protruding portion adapted to pivot about a point adjacent said otherend of said box-like container means upon movement of said cover memberwith respect to said container means.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein said releasable supportingmeans is of a rail type.

4. A missile launcher assembly for mounting on a water craft comprisinga coffin-like structure adapted to be fixed to the deck of a watercraft, said coffin-like structure having three lid members, two of saidlid members being hingedly connected to a forward portion of saidcofiindike structure and adapted to cover and uncover same, the third ofsaid lid members being adapted to cover and uncover the remainder ofsaid cofiin-like structure and including a portion extending toward thedeck of the associated craft and pivotally connected thereto at a pointaft of said cotfin-like structure, said third lid member being providedon the underside thereof with a mechanism for releasably supporting amissile, and actuator means operatively connected with said third lidmember for pivotally moving said third lid member about said pivotalconnection aft of said cofiin-like structure for covering and uncoveringsaid remainder of said coilinlike structure.

5. The launcher assembly defined in claim 4, wherein said third lidmember is additionally provided with means for supporting the same whensaid third lid member is removed from cooperation with said coffin-likestructure.

6. The launcher assembly defined in claim 4, wherein said mechanism isof the rail type.

7. Apparatus adapted for transporting, storing, and launching a missileor the like comprising an assembly defining a box-like container means,at least one removable cover member adapted to cover and uncover saidcontainer means, removable means for allowing said cover member to pivotwith respect to an end of said box-like container means, said covermember being provided on one side thereof with means adapted formounting and releasably supporting an associated missile or the like,said cover member being additionally provided on the other side thereofwith means for transporting the cover member separate from saidcontainer means, and actuator means removably connected to said covermember for pivoting said cover member with respect to said containermeans, whereby said cover member may function in cooperation with saidcontainer means for storing and launching an associated missile or thelike, may be removed therefrom for separate transportation thereof, andmay be utilized for separately transporting an associated missile or thelike.

Retereuces Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 455,279 6/1891Cunningham 89l.8 19 2,903,124 9/1959 Carver. 2,993,413 7/1961 McCormack891.8l5

References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,426,610 9/1947 Hopkins. 2,995,986 8/1961 Carlberg. 3,048,087 8/1962 Campbell.3,106,132 10/1963 Biermann et al.

SAMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN BORCHELT, SAMUEL W. ENGLE,

Examiners,

1. A TRANSPORTER-LAUNCHER APPARATUS ADAPTED FOR TRANSPORTING, STORINGAND LAUNCHING A MISSILE OR THE LIKE COMPRISING: A BOX-LIKE CONTAINERMEANS, COVER MEANS LOCATED AT ONE END OF SAID CONTAINER MEANS ANDADAPTED TO COVER AND UNCOVER THAT END PORTION OF THE BOX-LIKE CONTAINERMEANS, A COVER MEMBER LOCATED AT THE OTHER END OF SAID CONTAINER MEANSAND ADAPTED TO PIVOT WITH RESPECT TO SAID OTHER END OF SAID CONTAINERMEANS FOR COVERING AND UNCOVERING THE SAID OTHER END OF SAID BOX-LIKECONTAINER MEANS, SAID COVER MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS ADAPTED FORRELEASABLY SUPPORTING AN ASSOCIATED MISSILE OR THE LIKE ON ONE SIDETHEREOF, SAID COVER MEMBER ADDITIONALLY PROVIDED WITH MEANS MOUNTED ONTHE OPPOSITE SIDE THEREOF FOR TRANSPORTING THE COVER MEMBER, ANDACTUATOR MEANS FOR PIVOTING SAID COVER MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO SAIDCONTAINER MEANS.